 Carbon Studio have unveiled a new expansion for their virtual reality title, The Wizards.
Dark Times releases on Steam sometime next year and is available to wishlist now.
Currently, there’s no indication the expansion will be coming to PS VR, a platform which recently received an enhanced edition of the main game that Sam described as “an intoxicating realisation of… long-held magical fantasies” in his review. Did you play The Wizards? Looking forward to the new content? Let us know below or in the forums. Nintendo round-up | E3 201912/6/2019  While Mario himself was fairly quiet, there was plenty of news from Nintendo’s special Direct for E3. Here are all the biggest announcements.
Ghost-busting with Gooigi Luigi is back in the torchlight once again with Luigi’s Mansion 3. His customary poltergust now has some new abilities like slam, which can throw ghosts overhead to deal damage to them and nearby enemies, and suction shot, which lets you take ghosts’ shields from them, lowering their defences. The playful Nintendo visuals are in full effect in this new title, and reach their peak in the globular form of Gooigi, an all-green copy of our protagonist who is controllable remotely or by a co-op partner to solve puzzles or tackle enemies - just keep him away from water. There’s also an out-and-out online multiplayer mode, The ScareScraper, where up to four Luigis (and another four Gooigis…) must clear rooms, save lost Toads and solve puzzles in a spooky hotel. Get away from it all with Nook Inc. There was finally more news for Animal Crossing fans as well, as we got a first proper look at Animal Crossing: New Horizons. This latest chapter puts you on a deserted island in a tent to build up your town from scratch. You can have friends along this time too, with up to eight islanders able to explore the world at the same time and take part in a whole host of island activities. Crafting makes its debut in the series and elements seen in mobile titles are being included to make this what looks like the most comprehensive Animal Crossing entry to date. Fans will have to wait a little bit longer to get their hands on it however, as the game now comes out next year, on 20 March. The bear and bird come to Smash Bros. The Hero from Dragon Quest was confirmed to be entering the fray in Smash Bros. Ultimate (appearing as a number of forms drawn from across multiple entries in the series) and there was another Smash surprise in store: Banjo-Kazooie are raring to go. Rising to prominence in the title of the same name back in the 90s, Banjo and Kazooie have long been fan-requested combatants, and finally those wishes have been answered. The reveal showed off a few of their moves as well as a stage based on Spiral Mountain, the hub area for Banjo-Kazooie itself, and an ultimate move featuring the colourful critters the jinjos. The hits keep on coming Elsewhere, we got a first proper look at Link’s Awakening, a remake of the Legend of Zelda title released on the Game Boy back in 1993, which will return with a cheerful new art style on 20 September. We also saw the official, on-camera introduction of new Nintendo of America President Doug Bowser, complete with a suitably corny chit chat with his fire-breathing namesake. There were a slew of JRPGs including Trials of Mana, Collection of Mana, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, as well as the return of Travis Touchdown in No More Heroes 3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is on its way to the Switch, along with a number of other ports, including Resident Evil 5 and 6 and dozens of indie releases. Finally, there were highlights like Astral Chain from Platinum games, a remake of Panzer Dragoon and, for all the sports fans, Mario and Sonic are teaming up again for the 2020 Olympic Games. If you want to learn more, Nintendo will likely be sharing more information and gameplay footage on a number of the above titles as part of their Treehouse Live E3 coverage, which draws to a close tomorrow. Did you check out the conference? What are you most excited about so far? Let us know in the comments, and, from me and all of the team, thank you for checking out our E3 coverage.
Square Enix round-up | E3 201911/6/2019  Square Enix took to the stage early this morning to show us what we've got to look forward to over the next couple of years.
The game is said to feature “two Blu-ray discs” worth of content, hinting that it might be split into two parts, the first of which will be set in Midgar and present a "fully standalone gaming experience." Three editions of Final Fantasy VII Remake are available to pre-order ahead of the early 3 March 2020 launch on PS4, which you can learn more about here. Other platforms, presumably PC and Xbox One, will follow at a later date. A trailer for Final Fantasy VIII Remastered - not to be confused with the above Final Fantasy VII Remake - was also unveiled, showing off the game’s newly-rendered visuals. It pales in comparison to the work being lavished on FFVII, but fans will no doubt be happy for the opportunity to play FFVIII on modern systems when it hits Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC later this year. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is debuting on PS4 and Switch, 15 years after the original. New areas have been added inside dungeons and you can enlist the help of friends in an online multiplayer mode for up to four players. Final Fantasy XIV's Shadowbringers update is due to go live on PS4 and PC on 2 July. A brand new story sees the Warrior of Light embrace the dark and embark upon "an adventure that transcends worlds." Expect to see new areas, tribes, challenges, jobs, races and an updated battle system. Three all-new games set for 2020 One of the more tantalising reasons to tune in was the reveal of Marvel's Avengers. It all begins on A-Day, with Captain America, Iron Man, Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor unveiling their high tech H.Q, and a heli-carrier powered by an experimental energy source. Of course, it all goes belly-up and the Avengers, blamed for the massive devastation, disband. Five years later, after inviting trouble by outlawing Superheroes, the world is in danger and the Avengers must... be… put back together, in some way. There's a lot of talent on board as Marvel, Crystal Dynamics, Eidos Montreal, Crystal Northwest, Square Enix and Nixxes are all collaborating on the project and supporting it with post-release content free of charge. Some of that will be exclusive to PS4, presumably being a crossover with PlayStation game Marvel’s Spider-Man. Avengers launches 15 May 2020 on PS4, Xbox One, Stadia and PC. People Can Fly (Gears of War Judgement, Bulletstorm) are partnering with Square Enix External Studios to bring us Outriders, a dark sci-fi shooter. "Outriders is a very exciting project for us at Square Enix External Studios. We’re focusing on giving players a true AAA co-op shooter with a deep feature set and strong narrative,” said Jon Brooke, Co-Head of Studio at Square Enix External Studios. “The team at People Can Fly really know how to make gunplay feel tight and powerful and we can’t wait to show you more later this winter.” Outriders will launch summer 2020 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC. The release date for Tokyo RPG Factory's RPG adventure, Oninaki, was also announced with a new trailer. In the game, players will assume the role of a Watcher, moving between the Living World and the Beyond, guiding the souls of the Lost in a story of life, death and reincarnation. It's coming to PS4, Switch and PC on 22 August. A touch of déjà vu Following on from all the Final Fantasy remakes and remasters, The Last Remnant Remastered is a spruced-up version of the original RPG which launched in 2008 - it’s available now on Nintendo Switch. Romancing SaGa 3 and SaGa Scarlet Grace: Ambitions have both been released before, but never in the west. Romancing SaGa 3 is launching on Xbox One, PS4, PS Vita, Switch, PC and mobile. Scarlet Grace is only making its way to PS4, Switch, PC and mobile. Let us know if anything caught your eye below or over in the forums.
Ubisoft round-up | E3 201911/6/2019  Ubisoft opened with a customary musical performance, except this time it was the orchestral melodies of the Assassin’s Creed Symphony, instead of the energetic pop of Just Dance kicking things off. Fans of the latter need not be disappointed, however, as Just Dance 2020 made its exuberant appearance later in the show, dancing pandas and all!
Breakpoint’s starring antagonist, TV’s John Bernthal (The Walking Dead, The Punisher), was joined on stage by a dog as he discussed Colonel Cole D. Walker’s rogue army from the latest Ghost Recon. The Wolves, as they’re known, are made up of former Ghosts who inhabit the fictional island of Auroa. With their lethal technology and spec-ops training, it sounds like they’ll prove more formidable opposition than Wildlands’ Santa Blanca cartel and Unidad army. Further reveals included AI teammates for solo players, a community feedback program, and confirmation of a beta taking place 5 September. Post-launch support will include free updates and more crossover events, including a Terminator one (just like in Gears 5) that was hinted at during last night’s presentation. Ghost Recon Breakpoint is out 4 October on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Gods, monsters and more Tom Clancy There was also new content announced for The Division 2. Episode 1 arrives in July and takes players on missions outside the Washington D.C. city limits as they track down a rogue ally, take on a dangerous outcast leader in a zoo and try to find a missing convoy. The latter takes place in Kenly College, and is said to be home to an “entirely new gameplay experience.” Episode 2 arrives later in the year and features more main missions, this time set in the Pentagon, and adds another 8-player raid. Episode 3, meanwhile, arrives early next year and brings back the New York City setting from the first game. Finally, it was confirmed that Netflix will be making The Division movie, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Chastain. New games announced during the show were Rainbow Six Quarantine and a new IP called Gods and Monsters. The former releases early next year and sounds like an extended take on Siege’s Outbreak mode, which saw players fighting their way through levels infested with monsters. In Quarantine, players will take on a “devastating parasite” with their operators in cooperative action. The trailer, while light on details, at least looks impressive. Check it out below. We were also only treated to a vague cinematic trailer for Gods and Monsters, a new title from the makers of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. The game tells the story of a “forgotten hero on a quest to save the Greek gods.” It sounds like it’ll be an open world affair, with players able to fight mythical creatures and “explore a beautiful fantasy world where tricky trials, treacherous dungeons, and heroic feats await.” Gods and Monsters is out February next year on Xbox One, PS4, Switch and PC. Keep rollin’ rollin’ rollin’ rollin’ Another new IP revealed was Roller Champions, a “skill-based team PvP sports game that is as fun to watch as it is to play.” From the gameplay seen in the trailer, it looks like players race around an oval track on skates while trying to shoot a ball into a goal, as the opposition attempts to stop them. A pre-alpha demo is available to download now from Uplay on PC. Uplay takes on Xbox Game Pass Speaking of Uplay, Ubisoft announced a PC-only subscription service in Uplay+ during last night’s show. Players will be able to enjoy 100+ games through the service, including early access to the full versions of every new Ubisoft game, including premium editions and all their expansions. It’ll cost $14.99 (or regional equivalent) a month and launches this September. It’ll also be available through Google Stadia. What did you think of Ubisoft’s E3 presentation? Let us know below or over in the forums.
 The mania of Devolver Digital returned for a third year running and there were fistfuls of games on display at the PC Gaming Show. Here are some of the highlights.
What follows is a deeply surreal journey through game announcements and other self-referential snark which all takes place within Nina’s head. We’d highly recommend watching the video to see for yourself, along with the previous two to brush up on your Devolver lore. In terms of actual announcements though, Devolver did have a few things to share, including Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout from Mediatonic, a colourful every-blob-for-itself party game, Devolver Bootleg, which is a meta rip-off of Devolver’s own catalogue, and even an honest-to-goodness Enter the Gungeon arcade cabinet. PC Gaming Show brings a whole host of games At the PC Gaming Show, an altogether more sedate affair, but one which feels less showy than other high-budget presentations, there were tons of games on show. First up was a trailer for Rebellion’s Evil Genius 2: World Domination, a follow up to the long-dormant Bond villain management game which is set for Steam. In terms of high profile announcements, we had a release date - and Epic Store exclusivity - for Shenmue 3, which will debut on 19 November and feature martial arts training on a boat...  Elsewhere there was a Q&A with Borderlands 3 Creative Director Paul Sage, who gave us a few nuggets and expanded on things we already knew about the game, which comes out on 13 September. Badass ranks have been expanded to become guardian ranks, which allow for endless character progression over time, regardless of standard level, and will unlock bonus skins. This time Vault Hunters will have 50 levels to play with at launch, with familiar mechanics like golden loot boxes and shift codes returning for the game. There’ll also be “some PvP type stuff”. Baldur’s Gate III, which had its teaser trailer release a few days before, didn’t have much new to offer despite being saved for the end of the show. The strongest message was an important one - the game will be released when it’s ready, so the team aren’t committing to a specific ship date at the moment. Become a creature of the night There were plenty of other games on show as well, perhaps most notable among which was long-anticipated sequel Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. The gameplay reveal showed a darker version of our world where vampires must keep themselves a secret and “maintain the masquerade” in order to survive. Players will be able to see the mood potential blood-sucking targets are in, so, whether they’re filled with feelings of fear or desire, they’ll give you different buffs when you devour them. Turning won’t be a quick and easy process either, with you needing to adapt to your new life as a member of the undead and maintain fragile relationships with your former friends and family, dependant on your desire to put them at risk. Lots of new indies are coming Also announced were: Starmancer, a space station sim from Chucklefish with a 16-bit isometric viewpoint; Chivalry 2, a collaboration between Torn Banner and Tripwire coming in early 2020, aiming to bring Game of Thrones-style battles to life; and Midnight Ghost Hunt, a riff on Prop Hunt from Gary’s Mod where the props fight back. There was also a surprise from Funcom, who revealed the game they teased back on April Fool’s Day, Conan Chop Chop, is in fact a real thing. Not only that, but the Zelda-esque roguelike is coming to Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, PS4 and PC on 3 September. Did you check out the PC Gaming Show? Were you amused by Devolver’s insane antics? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Bethesda Round-up | E3 201910/6/2019  The last year hasn’t been kind to Bethesda. With Fallout 76 being a high profile flop, which underwhelmed audiences, and their other killer projects still on the way. This E3 was their chance to show us all that they have some quality gaming experiences up their sleeve. Read on to see if they delivered.
Ghosts, death and dragons Up next was the enthusiasm queen of E3 so far in the form of Ikumi Nakamura, Game Director of new IP GhostWire: Tokyo, an action adventure game (“It’s spoooooky!” claims Nakamura) in which the population is beset with strange disappearances and it's your job to unravel the conspiracy and purge this new evil, armed with an array of "mysterious spectral abilities." Another new IP we were introduced to was DEATHLOOP. A never-ending struggle between two extraordinary assassins, Deathloop will take players on a journey across "stunning environments and meticulously designed levels in an immersive gameplay experience" which allows you approach situations in any way you'd like. Elsewhere (or Elswyr) there was news of more updates to various The Elder Scrolls spin-offs. The Elder Scrolls: Blades, a free-to-play mobile title for Android and iOS is receiving its first update adding new jobs, jewellery, decorations for your town, voice overs and quests. A Switch version scheduled to release in autumn and it will remain free. The Elder Scrolls: Legends is always evolving with new cards added every month and regular updates. The latest expansion, Moons of Elsweyr, takes us to the native home of the Khajiit, where an Imperial invasion has, rather unfortunately, coincided with the release of ancient dragons. There's even more dragons to contend with in The Elder Scrolls Online with the Elsweyr update, now live across all platforms. Unlikely allies must band together to save Tamriel from the fiery foes. The Season of the Dragon will conclude with the Scalebreaker and Dragonhold expansions later in the year. Classic first-person shooters breathe new life into the genre  Two new Wolfenstein games are currently in development, each offering a different way to play. Cyberpilot is an upcoming virtual reality title launching PC and PS VR in July. Set 20 years after the events of The New Colossus, you'll play as a hacker for the French Resistance, wresting control of robots from the Nazis to use against them. Youngblood takes place sometime after Cyberpilot, also in the alternate 1980s, and brings a co-op experience to the series for the very first time. Jess and Soph Blazkowicz, A.K.A the Terror Twins, are on a mission to find their father, BJ, protagonist of the previous games. You can team up with a friend, or AI companion, when Youngblood launches on 26 July. We're all Doomed Following on from 2016's DOOM reboot, DOOM Eternal's story will see players battle through Heaven and Hell to push back the demonic horde. Expect new weapons, environments and enemies when it releases later this year. A new asymmetrical multiplayer mode, BATTLEMODE, was also teased. This 2v1 fight will pit one fully kitted out DOOM Slayer against two player-controlled demons in a best-of-three match. More will be revealed at Quakecon which features so much DOOM related stuff that they've playfully renamed this year's event DOOMcon. DOOM Eternal launches 22 November on Xbox One, PS4, Switch, PC and Google Stadia. Let us know what you thought of Bethesda's E3 below or over in the forums.
Xbox Round-up | E3 201910/6/2019  The Xbox briefing promised the largest showcase of games this year. There were a few surprises thrown in, alongside what we already expected to see, totalling a whopping 60 titles.
Anyone seeking the perfect peripheral for Project Scarlett (we loved the original) should take a gander at the Elite Controller Series 2, which features adjustable-tension thumbsticks, new interchangeable components and up to 40 hours of rechargeable battery life. It's available to pre-order now. Xbox Game Pass is expanding with a ton of new titles already added to the library and more on the way, including a dizzying amount of id@Xbox games. Game Pass Ultimate combines an Xbox Live Gold subscription with a membership for Game Pass on both Xbox One and PC. The PC version of Game Pass is now in beta and Game Pass Ultimate is live, with your first month costing only £1 (check out Sam’s forum post for how to get the best value out of this offer). Old favourites return en masse New entries in (and expansions for) some of Microsoft's first-party franchises are currently in development. Exactly none of those titles are Fable 4. Some stage pyrotechnics and an eerie teaser introduced Gears 5, which launches 10 September and will be available on Game Pass from day one. Those with Game Pass Ultimate can jump in four days early and also access the Terminator: Dark Fate character pack. More will be shown this summer, including a look at Horde mode during this year's Gamescom, but before then players can go hands-on with a multiplayer tech test in July. We can expect plenty of new features in this instalment, and a cinematic trailer shed light on one of them: the new co-op mode, Escape, where three players have to infiltrate an enemy hive and destroy it from within. Gears devotees will recognise this mode and its characters from the ongoing Hivebusters comic book series. A sequel to another of Xbox's flagship series was shown off with a CGI trailer. Developed by 343 Industries for Xbox One, Project Scarlett and PC, Halo Infinite continues the story of Halo 5: Guardians and "takes the franchise in ambitious, unexpected directions." Infinite will launch alongside Project Scarlett. Minecraft Dungeons is a new-yet-familiar adventure game inspired by classic dungeon crawlers, launching on PC and consoles in spring of next year. Forza Horizon 4 is getting an unexpected expansion in LEGO Speed Champions. From 13 June, players can race around the new LEGO Valley, completing challenges and seeking out hidden Bonus Cubes in a variety of LEGO rides, such as the McLaren Senna, Ferrari F40 Competizione, and 1967 Mini Cooper S Rally. Microsoft announce a surprise acquisition, Xbox Game Studios looks stronger than ever Microsoft announced the acquisition of Tim Schafer’s Double Fine Productions. Psychonauts 2 (which follows on from PS VR game Psychonauts and the Rhombus of Ruin) will be available through Game Pass on Xbox and PC, but PS4, Mac and Linux versions are all still going ahead as planned. Ninja Theory (DmC: Devil May Cry, Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice) were snapped up by Microsoft just last year, but their first title to be published by Xbox Game Studios is already almost here. Touted as a one-of-a-kind multiplayer experience, Bleeding Edge is a 4v4 team brawler which rewards "technique, timing and teamwork" and allows players to "freeze foes in time, control minds, ride missiles and unleash electrifying guitar solos." You can sign up now for the opportunity to take part in the technical alpha on 27 June. Undead Labs is another feather in the cap for the publisher. State of Decay 2's Heartland DLC is available now and free with Game Pass. The campaign features two storylines, set in Trumbull Valley, the location of the original State of Decay. A far more advanced and deadly form of the blood plague exists here, resulting in "new dangers and unspeakable horrors." Foreign developers are leading the way with RPGs Elden Ring, the fantasy RPG developed by FromSoftware (Sam will be pleased) and Bandai Namco in collaboration with George R.R. Martin, was officially announced with a trailer. Whilst there wasn't much to go on, the cinematic trailer was an audiovisual treat and the idea of a Dark Souls/Game of Thrones hybrid is all anyone needs to get hyped. Bandai Namco are also busy with Tales of Arise, the next chapter in the long-running JRPG series, which is due to hit stores sometime in 2020. The popular MMORPG, Phantasy Star Online 2, is making its western debut in spring 2020, coming to Xbox One in North America. SEGA have issued a statement via Twitter regarding a release in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, saying there's "nothing to confirm" at present but to stay tuned for updates. CD Projekt Red's Cyberpunk 2077 was flaunted with an all-new cinematic trailer, exploring the dark world of Night City, a "megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification." One of the biggest reveals was the news that Keanu Reeves is playing one of the characters, Johnny Silverhand, providing full-body motion capture, along with voice work. Cyberpunk 2077 releases 16 April 2020 and pre-orders are now live, though that fancy Collector's Edition may not yet be available in your region. Plenty more went down at the Xbox E3 2019 conference, so be sure to check out Microsoft’s showcase in full below if you still have an appetite for games, games, games. Share your thoughts on the Xbox showcase with us in the comments here or over in the forums.
EA Play Round-up | E3 20199/6/2019  Kicking off proceedings as they have done for the past few years, EA brought the big guns (and lightsabers) to its EA Play showcase. Read on for our full rundown of the highlights of the show.
The first thing that struck us was how this gameplay wasn’t choreographed to the nth degree, the player got hit multiple times - as you might expect when you’re a lone jedi taking on fierce new purge troopers, despatched by the Emperor to wipe out the jedi post Order 66. The gameplay itself takes your character Cal Kestis (portrayed by Gotham’s Cameron Monaghan) as he infiltrates an imperial refinery on Kashyyyk, employing a variety of force powers, some familiar; others which feel a bit different.
Reaching the Apex The smash hit Apex Legends may have made a big splash when it flew onto the scene back in February, but we’ve been waiting to see how the free-to-play battle royale title would evolve. Our answer comes in the form of a new character, skins and ranked play for season 2, beginning at the end of June.
With Wattson’s introduction, the game is making a play for the lore-building heights of Overwatch, which frequently fleshes out its world with the introduction of each new character. It seems young Wattson is a child of the arena, referred to as the “kid sister” of the other legends she grew up around while her father was building it.
Battlefield V goes forth Despite not knocking socks off when it was first released, Battlefield V is undoubtedly an excellent game, and shows no signs of slowing down as it enters its fourth chapter: Defying the Odds.
Fifa, Madden and more… Volta Football is the newest mode to be added into the Fifa franchise, leaning on the nostalgia many players have for 2012’s Fifa Street, but brought up to date with the latest enhancements the series has to offer. You’ll be able to tour the world on the streets, from a rooftop in Tokyo, a cage in London and an underpass in Amsterdam. Featuring smaller teams and the ability to bounce the ball off walls to go past opponents, Volta is a more intimate, raw experience which - according to Man United and England legend Rio Ferdinand - leaves you nowhere to hide.  Take it to the streets with Volta Football in Fifa 20 Players can create their own teams or play with household names in a variety of team matches, from 3v3 and 4v4 (with or without keepers) to 5v5. Volta Football will not be available on the Nintendo Switch version of the game. There’s innovation in the main game as well, with a reworked free kick and penalty mechanic, strafe dribbling and controlled finishing to give you more clinical control of the ball at those crucial moments on goal.  (AMERICAN) FOOTBALL! Madden (undoubtedly our most anticipated game of the entirety of E3…) recapped its upcoming innovations which include a new career mode which re-introduces playable college football and lets you take a player all the way to the NFL. Series fans will also be happy to hear Pro Bowl is back, plus there are expanded playbooks, dynamic scenarios which tweak the gameplay for unique challenges and ultimate missions.  Suns out guns out for The Sims Finally, The Sims 4 has more content for you to live vicariously through. The next expansion is called Island Living and sends your sims on a jet ski-powered holiday to a sandy paradise, available 21 June. There’ll be plenty of islandware to chill in as the sun beats down on your Sims. You’ll also be able to send them into the open water for the first time for a spot of paddling, snorkeling and the aforementioned jet skis. Did you check out EA Play? What are you most excited about? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
E3 2019 schedule8/6/2019  E3 2019 officially kicks off this weekend and we'll be around to chat and share in the laughter and tears over on our Live Events page. We also have a handful of Xbox and PlayStation gift cards to give away during the event.
EA Play - Saturday, 8 June at 5:15pm Xbox - Sunday, 9 June at 9:00pm Bethesda - Monday, 10 June at 1:30am Devolver Digital - Monday, 10 June at 3:00am PC Gaming Show - Monday, 10 June at 6:00pm Ubisoft - Monday, 10 June at 9:00pm Square Enix - Tuesday, 11 June at 2:00am Nintendo - Tuesday, 11 June at 5:00pm Let us know what you're looking forward to below or over in the forums.  The biggest gaming event of the year has just about wrapped up, and there's been an awful lot going on. We've had press conferences from all the major publishers and platform holders, heard about hundreds of upcoming games and watched maybe thousands of trailers (well, quite a few anyway).
 Xbox Microsoft boasted it had brought 50 games along and it was, generally, a very good showing for the company. One highlight was the purchase of four studios (including previous PlayStation collaborator, Ninja Theory) and the creation of a fifth known as The Initiative. Plus there were announcements and reveals including Halo, Dying Light 2 and Cyberpunk 2077...  PlayStation Sony's PlayStation E3 event may have been a little subdued compared to other years, with only four previously announced exclusive titles going under the spotlight, but that didn't stop what we saw from being any less impressive. The likes of The Last of Us: Part II, Death Stranding and the soon to be released Spider-Man continue to awe, while we also got a first look at the highly anticipated Resident Evil 2 remake...  Nintendo Super Smash Bros. Ultimate dominated the Nintendo showcase, running through in detail the changes to this iteration in the long-running series, which features every single fighter from past games and one or two new ones for good measure. There were also reminders of all the ports the Switch will be enjoying this summer and a new Mario Party called - wait for it - Super Mario Party...  Bethesda Hitting their stride right away, Bethesda had a lot to tell us in their show, including more from Todd Howard about Fallout 76, particularly the fact that it was an online, generally multiplayer experience compared to previous Fallout titles. There were also some new games including Wolfenstein Youngblood, new content for Prey and Skyrim available on yet more devices, including Amazon Alexa, although we're pretty sure they were joking...  Ubisoft Bringing the fun and weirdness as always, Ubisoft kicked off the show with a dancing panda, because why not? There was a deeper look at The Division 2, set in Washington DC, Beyond Good & Evil 2, which is looking more and more like an actual game, and Skull and Bones, which is as piratey as you might expect. We also visited Ancient Greece to meet the protagonists from the recently leaked Assassin's Creed Odyssey...  EA First out the gate, but with relatively little to show for it, EA's Play event did feature a frank admission from the DICE team about how Battlefront 2 turned out and was received by fans. There were the usual sports updates - of course - as well as some hype for Battlefield V. The return of Unravel's Yarny was a pleasant surprise though, and Anthem looks like it has potential, if the BioWare team can stick the landing...  Square Enix The shortest presentation of the week, Square Enix showed off gameplay from Shadow of the Tomb Raider for the first time, as well as a trailer (which we'd already seen in the Xbox conference...) for the long-awaited Kingdom Hearts 3. Elsewhere there were details on what changes we can expect in Just Cause 4, as well as a crossover from Final Fantasy and Monster Hunter...  PC Gaming
This year's PC Gaming Show was almost as prolific as Microsoft's Xbox event, with 30 games shown off in just 90 minutes. Highlights included a closer look at Telltale's The Walking Dead: The Final Season and Stormland, a AAA virtual reality title from Imsoniac Games where you play as an android gardener trying to save their friends and stop the lush, tropical world they inhabit from being overrun... |
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